Cancer changes 24-year-old's professional outlook

As Scranton resident and longtime overachiever Alesia Walsh struggled to run a 10-mile race in May, she didn't know about the 20-pound tumor hidden inside of her.

She just thought the long-distance run seemed a bit tough, a strong test to her stamina and willpower. She also attributed back pain to sitting too long.

And then she began experiencing the headaches.

Ms. Walsh, 24, started feeling sick in January 2012, during her first year of dental school at Temple University in Philadelphia. Always a Type A personality with a heavy emphasis on winning, she attributed her feelings to stress, a possible allergy and other possible causes.

As her symptoms continued, it didn't seem to make sense to her. She didn't smoke and was a moderate drinker. She ate healthy foods and exercised regularly.

"I couldn't figure out what was going on," she said. "I thought I was allergic to shellfish."

In June, Ms. Walsh's blood pressure shot up and she felt dizzy. Again, she thought it was a migraine headache. For an honors graduate in neuroscience and biology at the University of Scranton, she wasn't used to guessing wrong so many times.

The answer changed her life. With the medical term of dysgerminoma, she was diagnosed with a rare germ cell tumor, a form of ovarian cancer. Listening to her doctor explain her situation, she learned that about one in 300,000 people get this form of cancer.

Her life changed with the diagnosis, but things felt surreal. How could her life really be threatened, the Scranton Preparatory School graduate thought. She went from studying for exams to become a dentist to turning into the patient.

"It was hard to process," she said recently. "I didn't really feel scared until I went in for surgery."

Friends and family distracting her with breakfast in the mornings and spending time with her in the hospital seemed to help distract her from the frightening "what if" questions. A friend even shaved his head when Ms. Walsh began chemotherapy, helping her smile and laugh during a time she didn't have hair.

In hospitals from Scranton to New York City, Ms. Walsh's experience with physicians helped her see the importance of them connecting with patients. Some seemed cold, while others explained things to her in ways that showed they cared. With each physician interaction, Ms. Walsh realized the importance of how medical professionals treat patients.

While always having the drive to succeed academically, Ms. Walsh believes her experience with cancer has helped her as she prepares to return to dental school in August.

"I feel like I've become more sensitive toward other people's feelings, more empathetic," she said. "If people say they're in pain, I can really empathize with that."

Since her cancer surgery in October, Ms. Walsh has spent time with her family in Scranton as she regains strength. She also works part time at Valley Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Scranton.

Laura Toole, an oncology social worker and director of community and patient services at the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, said many people diagnosed with cancer often see it as a life-changing experience, often describing a shift in priorities and life perspective.

For people returning to work after treatment for cancer, Ms. Toole said one of the most common side effects is fatigue.

"It's a different kind of tired that is much more debilitating," she said. "Many people need to change the way they approach their job, build in more frequent breaks."

Elizabeth Jacob, Ph.D., faculty member in the department of counseling and human services at the University of Scranton, said people experiencing cancer and other dramatic illnesses and diseases often have an "existential crisis," where they look for larger meaning in their lives. Dr. Jacob knows from professional and personal experience. In July, she had a surgical brain procedure related to early onset Parkinson's disease.

Based on her experience with Parkinson's disease, Dr. Jacob plans to change her area of focus from diversity issues to chronic illness. Having taught a course on chronic illness, family and disability, Dr. Jacob said she wants to inspire students to "celebrate life." She also said personal and professional goals have changed since her diagnoses 12 years ago.

"Your vision of what you want to accomplish in life becomes more urgent," she said.

As for Ms. Walsh, she has found new ways to style her hair as it grows back. She also continues to study medical books as she prepares to return to dental school in August. Thinking about her past year, she said she has found silver linings.

"It could be worse - I have my family and friends," she said. "This has helped me see the big picture."

Perhaps symbolic of her resilience, Ms. Walsh continues to exercise and plans to run the same 10-mile race in Philadelphia again in May, this time without cancer weighing her down.

"Whenever training feels tough, I just tell myself that I already did it with a 20 pound tumor in my stomach," she said.

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